Ford GT will race in World Endurance Championship and United SportsCar Championship; schedule includes Le Mans 24 Hours
The race-going version of the Ford GT, which will compete at Le Mans next year, has been shown testing in a new official video from Ford.
The video shows the GT's development team testing the racer ahead of its official unveiling back in June, where Executive chairman Bill Ford, chief executive Mark Fields and product development president Raj Nair were present. The car's first outing at Le Mans next year will mark 50 years since the original first won the classic endurance race.
A return to sports car racing in 2016 allows the company to both promote its new Ford Performance sub-brand and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the original GT race car placing first, second and third at the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours. Ford went on to win the race for four years in succession, from 1966-1969.
Powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 from Ford's EcoBoost line-up, as already raced in American sports car championships, the GT will compete in the LM GTE Pro category, where it will face rivals such as the Ferrari 458 Italia, Porsche 911 RSR, Aston Martin Vantage V8 and Chevrolet Corvette C7R.
Two two-car teams will race in the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship and United SportsCar Championship, both operated by Chip Ganassi Racing. Driver line-ups for both teams will be announced at a later date, but four cars have been confirmed for Le Mans. The car will make its debut in next January's Daytona 24 Hours.
Talks to return Ford to top-flight motorsport are understood to have started in 2013. Joining Ford and Ganassi in the project are Multimatic Motorsports, Roush Yates Engines, Castrol, Michelin, Forza Motorsport, Sparco, and Brembo.
The racing GT features new bodywork which increases the aerodynamic effect compared with the road car, new lightweight carbonfibre materials and a chassis which is described as “exceptionally rigid but light”.
Mark Fields said the racing car would act as a “hotbed for technical innovation”. Some minor components made using 3D printing will be incorporated into the design of the GT race car. “The process allows us to produce and test new components rapidly,” added Fields.
The Ford Performance sub-brand, which aims to bring 12 new performance vehicles to market by 2020. Other road-going models in the programme include the Ford Focus RS, the Shelby GT350 and GT350R, the F-150 Raptor, the Focus ST and Fiesta ST.
Speaking at the car's launch, Bill Ford said: “We’re back at Le Mans and we’re back with a supercar.
“Ford’s history in racing is legendary, across many circuits and across the globe. We’re back with a car and a partner that we feel great about. The first time I saw the early rendering of this vehicle, I was in love.”
Raj Nair added: “As we developed the Ford GT, from the outset, we wanted to ensure we had a car that has what it takes to return Ford to the world of GT racing.
“We believe the Ford GT’s advances in aerodynamics, light-weighting and EcoBoost power will make for a compelling race car that can once again compete on a global stage.”
Ford's announcement highlights the growing manufacturer interest in sports car racing. BMW is also believed to be interested in entering a hydrogen-powered racer in 2018.
The road-going Ford GT is powered by a mid-mounted 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 EcoBoost engine which develops more than 600bhp, and is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Initially developed in secret, the road-going GT will go on sale in 2016, with a price tag of around £240,000. That means the GT will be occupying the same segment as the Ferrari 488 GTB, McLaren 675LT and Lamborghini Aventador.
Ford hasn’t been shy about communicating the new GT’s racetrack potential since the road-going version was unveiled at the Detroit motor show at the start of this year.
The £240,000 road car was developed in collaboration with Multimatic Motorsports, a Canadian racing team with a 30-year pedigree of working with Ford on its race programmes.
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